Emma Twyford

Emma Twyford
Personal information
Born1986 (age 39–40)
Exeter, England
EducationSheffield Hallam University
BSc Sport Science & Coaching
OccupationsRock climber, Route setter
Websitewww.emmatwyford.com
Climbing career
Highest grade
First ascentsDeux Mauvais Melons (8b+, 2023)
Known forFirst British woman to climb a 9a (5.14d) graded route
Updated on 23 August 2026

Emma Twyford (born 1986) is a British female rock climber and competition climber from Cumbria in England who is known for her ascents in sport climbing, traditional climbing and in bouldering.[1][2]

On 17 September 2019, she made the first female free ascent (FFFA) of The Big Bang at the Lower Pen Trwyn in North Wales, becoming the first-ever British female climber to ascend a 9a (5.14d)-graded sport climbing route.[3][4] In 2019, the story of her ascent was released by filmmaker David Petts as a climbing documentary film: The Big Bang - The Emma Twyford Story, and it won the Best Climbing Film at the Kendal Mountain Festival (COVID delayed its general release to 2022).[5][6]

Twyford is also known for her traditional climbing and has made the FFFA of several major British traditional climbing routes including Rare Lichen in 2013 (at E9 6c, she became the second-ever British woman to climb an E9-graded route),[7] Strawberries in 2014 (one of the most famous British traditional E7-graded climbing routes),[8] Nightmayer in 2018 (at E8 6c),[9] and Yma O Hyd in 2025 (at E10 7a, she became the second-ever British woman to climb an E10-graded route).[10][11][12]

Twyford was a British junior bouldering champion and represented Britain on the national competition climbing team for many years, coming 5th in competition lead climbing in the UIAA European Youth Cup in Birmingham in 2001.[5][13] She also works as a route setter for competitions and a coach.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pardy, Aaron (20 February 2018). "Emma Twyford Sends Mind Control 5.14c". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 Langley, Mark (23 July 2018). "Emma Twyford - Not Just a Sport Climber". UKClimbing. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (24 September 2019). "Interview: Emma Twyford on The Big Bang 9a". UKClimbing. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Pardy, Aaron (18 September 2019). "Emma Twyford Sends The Big Bang 5.14d in U.K." Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 Pardy, Aaron (22 January 2022). "Watch Emma Twyford Become First British Woman to Climb 5.14d". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Big Bang, the Emma Twyford Story at Lower Pen Trwyn in Wales". PlanetMountain. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Campbell, Duncan (24 October 2013). "Interview: Emma Twyford Climbs E9, second ever by a British woman". UKClimbing. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Twyford fires Strawberries". Climber. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Berry, Nathalie (19 July 2018). "Nightmayer E8 6c by Emma Twyford". UKClimbing. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Emma Twyford repeats Yma O Hyd, trad E10 in North Wales". PlanetMountain. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Emma Twyford makes third ascent of Yma O Hyd (E10 7a)". Climber. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Greenwood, Rob (3 September 2025). "Emma Twyford repeats Yma O Hyd (E10 7a)". UKClimbing. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Emma Twyford". World Climbing. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
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